Competitive scene completion, for instance, the population of a room with suitable furnishings, that are designed without any aids often do not look as good as contemplated in the design stage. For instance, a bed for a particular bedroom may not look quite like imagined once the bed is actually placed in the room. With the many options available for furniture, window treatments, and the large array of kitchen and bath possibilities, navigating the marketplace in order to furnish even a single room in a home or outdoor area associated with a home can be overwhelming. Such scene completion is made even more complicated in competitive scene completion, where the scene for instance must adhere to one or more constraints such as a particular design style and/or total budget.
Houzz View in My Room 3D, available on the Internet as referenced at Houzz.com, allows a user to preview different pieces of furniture and other decor products in images taken of rooms within their home before they purchase such items. The application transplants three-dimensional models of such furnishing into pictures of rooms taken by a user of their home, and represents the details of such furnishing such as the materials and textures they are made of, to offer a visualization of how the physical items will look. More than one object can be added to the same view for those users that would like to completely refurnish a particular room. Such users can then capture what is on screen as a sketch, which is added to their Houzz ideabook, and later shared with others. Alternatively, the user can purchase the selected items immediately, directly from the application. The application also has lists of products for sale and professionals who can help realize the design. One drawback with Houzz View in My Room 3D is that it does not provide a realistic basis for competitive design. That is, safeguards for preventing a user from exceeding a certain budget are lacking. Moreover, while a user may share their designs with friends, there is no objective quantitative basis for obtaining community feedback on shared designs.
Another such application is Homestyler, available on the Internet as referenced at homestyler.com. Homestyler allows a user to change the wallpaper, paint walls, and replace furniture within scenes of rooms within their home without actually buying them. A user starts by taking a photograph of their room. They then upload the photograph, and drop in furnishings from a catalog of real items that is constantly updated. Walls can be repainted with swipes of your finger. The application provides detailed product descriptions with prices and availability. One drawback with Homestyler is that it also does not provide a realistic basis for competitive design. That is, safeguards for preventing a user from exceeding a certain budget are lacking. Moreover, while a user may share their designs with others, there is no objective quantitative basis for obtaining community feedback on shared designs.
Still another application is Zillow Digs, available on the Internet as referenced at zillow.com. Online real estate database Zillow launched Zillow Digs as a hub for home remodeling ideas and to give users an understanding of how much specific projects cost. Users can browse and save images relating to rooms, styles, and specific elements. The application provides users with remodel estimates on the kitchens and baths that inspire them. Estimates are based on location and are broken down by materials and labor costs. The application helps the user find professionals to do the work, and the user can follow, and comment on, other users' projects. However, the application does not permit a user to paste in particular items into a room. That is, the application does not permit a user to virtually customize a scene.
Still another application is RoomReveal—Home Design, available on the Internet as referenced at roomreveal.com. RoomReveal provides tools that allow a user to show the progression of their home improvement projects. Users upload photos and provide a narrative. The application therefore serves as a personal scrapbook, in which a user can track their own projects as well as and offer comments on projects of other users. The catalog of projects changes daily. Users can also search by room, follow their favorite users, and seek out designers and architects. However, the application does not permit a user to paste in particular items into a room. That is, the application does not permit a user to virtually customize a scene.
Still another application is Home Design 3D, available on the Internet as referenced at homedesign3d.net. Starting in two-dimensional construction mode, a user picks a floor plan, draws rooms, and adjusts the height or thickness of walls. It is possible to drop in furnishings and lighting from a database of hundreds of objects and to select door and window styles, floor coverings, and wallpapers. When the design is done, a click of a button turns the design into a three dimensional version. A user can experiment with redesigns and then take a tour of the new look with a three dimensional walk-through. One drawback with Home Design 3D is that it does not provide a realistic basis for competitive design. That is, safeguards for preventing a user from exceeding a certain budget are lacking. Moreover, there is no objective quantitative basis for obtaining community feedback on designs.
Given the above background, what is needed in the art is improved systems and methods for scene completion in an application.